lazaretto

noun

laz·​a·​ret·​to ˌla-zə-ˈre-(ˌ)tō How to pronounce lazaretto (audio)
variants or lazaret or less commonly lazarette
plural lazarettos or lazarets also lazarettes
1
usually lazaretto : an institution (such as a hospital) for those with contagious diseases
2
: a building or a ship used for detention in quarantine
3
usually lazaret or lazarette : a space in a ship between decks used as a storeroom

Examples of lazaretto in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The intimate store, dubbed Third Man Records London, opened Saturday and was built out in the former site of a lazaretto, a historical flourish that plays deeply into White’s mythology. Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2021 Closed to commercial flights, the airport has become a kind of lazaretto, reported the Wall Street Journal in mid-April, raising human rights concerns. Laura Weiss, The New Republic, 14 May 2020 For centuries, leper colonies and lazarettos had sequestered bodies and cargos suspected of carrying disease. Timothy Kent Holliday, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lazaretto.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Italian lazzaretto, alteration of Nazaretto, quarantine station in Venice, from Santa Maria di Nazareth, church on the island where it was located

First Known Use

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lazaretto was in 1549

Dictionary Entries Near lazaretto

Cite this Entry

“Lazaretto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lazaretto. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

lazaretto

noun
laz·​a·​ret·​to ˌlaz-ə-ˈret-(ˌ)ō How to pronounce lazaretto (audio)
variants or lazaret
plural lazarettos or lazarets
1
usually lazaretto : an institution (as a hospital) for those with contagious diseases
2
: a building or a ship used for detention in quarantine

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